(Barely) Working Title: How to retire in your twenties
We always said that the first day of rain would represent the first real test of van-life. We couldn't have been more correct. Waking up in Onewhero to a flooding campsite - we made the immediate decision to get on the road and visit some museums and cultural sites on the way down to Hamilton. With the rain pouring and a storm on the horizon this was surely the best way to spend the day? Unfortunately, we were greeted by a number of "We are Open" signs, only to find the establishments closed down several years ago.
It hammered it down for a full 24 hours. The only brief respite from the rain came in the form of the Waikato Museum display (our third museum of the day, and the first that was open) where we met Te Winika, a 200-year old Māori war canoe (Waka Taua) complete with intricate carvings and albatross feathers. The museum was a good distraction, but after a ridiculous effort to get our laundry done and find a camping spot with a toilet that wasn't miles away from the city centre, spirits were low. Soaked through and exhausted, we bedded down for the night at the local football stadium (still miles away...). Luckily, discomfort can be fixed with a little red wine and comfort food in your cosy mobile home.
The next day we were greeted by the sunshine and another surprise -our neighbours on the site came over to say that they knew the previous owners of our van. They say it's 2 degrees of separation here in NZ and that seems about right so far!
Following yesterdays antics, we decided to splash out and stay at a holiday park which gave us a chance to properly explore Hamilton in the sun and have HOT SHOWERS. The Waikato river is a beautiful slice of tranquility right in the hustle and bustle of the city centre, and much enjoyed with a tasty local beer in hand.
We were almost tempted to stay another day, however the road was calling and renowned surf hotspot Raglan was next on our list.
Lewis George
81 chapters
16 Apr 2020
Under the Weather
April 11, 2019
|
Hamilton
We always said that the first day of rain would represent the first real test of van-life. We couldn't have been more correct. Waking up in Onewhero to a flooding campsite - we made the immediate decision to get on the road and visit some museums and cultural sites on the way down to Hamilton. With the rain pouring and a storm on the horizon this was surely the best way to spend the day? Unfortunately, we were greeted by a number of "We are Open" signs, only to find the establishments closed down several years ago.
It hammered it down for a full 24 hours. The only brief respite from the rain came in the form of the Waikato Museum display (our third museum of the day, and the first that was open) where we met Te Winika, a 200-year old Māori war canoe (Waka Taua) complete with intricate carvings and albatross feathers. The museum was a good distraction, but after a ridiculous effort to get our laundry done and find a camping spot with a toilet that wasn't miles away from the city centre, spirits were low. Soaked through and exhausted, we bedded down for the night at the local football stadium (still miles away...). Luckily, discomfort can be fixed with a little red wine and comfort food in your cosy mobile home.
The next day we were greeted by the sunshine and another surprise -our neighbours on the site came over to say that they knew the previous owners of our van. They say it's 2 degrees of separation here in NZ and that seems about right so far!
Following yesterdays antics, we decided to splash out and stay at a holiday park which gave us a chance to properly explore Hamilton in the sun and have HOT SHOWERS. The Waikato river is a beautiful slice of tranquility right in the hustle and bustle of the city centre, and much enjoyed with a tasty local beer in hand.
We were almost tempted to stay another day, however the road was calling and renowned surf hotspot Raglan was next on our list.
1.
The first trip: Miranda to Thames
2.
Land of the Long, White Cloud
3.
Backyard Exploring
4.
Hit the Road, Jack
5.
Under the Weather
6.
The Road of Death?
7.
An Eel called "Eel"
8.
Descent into the Black Abyss...
9.
Everybody's Going Surfing...
10.
Living in a van: is this the real life?
11.
Out with the Old and in with the New (Plymouth)
12.
Walk this Way
13.
The Great Taranaki
14.
The "Forgotten" Highway
15.
Chronicle + Art = Article
16.
Derby Day
17.
Mission Accomplished: Come on you Nix!
18.
The post-Phoenix hangover
19.
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing
20.
Whanganui 2 - This Time it’s Personal
21.
Tui-many puns and Hastings
22.
The Giant Among Us & Bell Rock
23.
Acoustics, Art & A Bloody Cold Sea
24.
Napier Calling
25.
Bridget Jones' Diary - Cheese, Chocolate, Wine
26.
Land and Sea
27.
Mahia-hee, Mahia-hu...
28.
The Gisborne Identity
29.
East Cape Escape
30.
The Long and Winding Road
31.
More or Less Pork.
32.
The Land of the Rising Sun
33.
Hikurangi: Reaching New Heights
34.
Stingray, Stingray!
35.
Bay of Plenty (of Surprises)
36.
Future Reflections
37.
Birthday Part 1 - Going Off Pissed
38.
Birthday Part 2 - Going En Piste
39.
Mid-Winter Christmas
40.
I Get Knocked Down (But I Get Up Again)
41.
Job Hunting: I Need a Dollar, Dollar
42.
Busy Earnin'
43.
Hoppy Daze
44.
Making a House a Home
45.
What to expect when you’re expecting
46.
Bright Lights, Big City
47.
Feeling Each and Every Mile
48.
What to export when you're exporting
49.
Waipapa Marae: An Unexpected Welcome
50.
Tane of the Sky Father
51.
The Boy Most Likely To
52.
Go Rooster!
53.
Friday 13th
54.
Mild Orange, Heavy Chest
55.
Champions of the World
56.
Wild, Wild West (Auckland)
57.
Team Zlatan Heineken
58.
Great Expectations
59.
Un petit rendezvous
60.
Duck Island (sans canards)
61.
It’s Coming Home?
62.
Culture, init?
63.
Sue’s Turtle Garden
64.
New Caledonia - It’s a Rollercoaster (metaphorically)
65.
It’s gone abroad...
66.
Future Me Hates Me
67.
“You can’t beat Wellington on a sunny day”
68.
Te Papa Tongarewa: New Zealand’s Treasure Chest
69.
Island in the Sun
70.
Wine on Waiheke
71.
I'm Dreaming of a Really Sunny and Warm as Hell Christmas
72.
A Visitor!
73.
New Year, New Zealand
74.
Worm-tomo
75.
A Vicious Cycle
76.
Tongario 2.0: This time it's actually visible
77.
Wow Nature, you furry
78.
Whakarewarewa: Living Māori Vilage
79.
Ain't No Mountain...
80.
Hot Rodders & Hotter Weather
81.
North Shore, Not Sure
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